


Dragon Age Samhain

by JanetteK



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age Inquisition - Fandom, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 16:04:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16478651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JanetteK/pseuds/JanetteK
Summary: Inspired by #Dragon4geDay fanfic prompt: All Souls DayA Day to remember the dead, What rituals do you think the people of Thedas practice to observe this holiday? What about your character?In the past, Cullen has been hesitant to partake of the celebrations of All Souls Day for reasons. Athena, his wife and Inquisitor is slowly changing that. Loosely, a brief sequel to This Shit Is A Love Story.





	Dragon Age Samhain

Cullen sighed in relief as he finished answering the last missive. Varric may have had a point when he said that Cullen needed a hobby, but this workaholic day was so he could finally take Athena and the twins to South Reach. The twins are well over five years old now.

 

The plan was to take them the day after Samhain, as Athena calls it (The Chantry impressed upon him that the day be called All Souls Day.) In the past, Cullen would avoid the celebrations as it was accepted that the Veil was weakest on this day of the year, with demons and spirits alike roaming around with the living. Cullen had worried that since he was brought low by demons once, it could happen again.

 

But with Athena's love and understanding of his hesitancy, that was slowly changing. She had come up with the idea of play dressing as someone or something else to confuse the demons. And while he wouldn't admit to anyone, save his wife, the simple and rather silly idea gave him peace of mind.

 

"Curly!" Varric shouted as he entered without knocking, "Where's Duchess?"

 

Cullen sighed internally. While he knew Athena missed the dwarf, Cullen did not miss the constant barging in of her friends and family, "I don't know."

 

"What do you mean you don't know? Are you Curly?" Varric sounded utterly surprised.

 

"Despite the outfit, I assure you that I am the person you saddled with that name," Cullen still wasn't sure about the outfit Athena had picked out for him, the dark haired wig made his head itch.

  
Varric squinted like he was having a hard time seeing, "What are you wearing? And why don't you know where your wife is?"

  
For once, Cullen was grateful for the dim light of his office. If Varric could truly see him, there would be no end to the teasing. Despite Athena's assurances to the contrary, Cullen still felt the outfit made him look like Dorian. "You will see my costume at the bonfire later. I am not my wife's keeper where I need to know where she is every minute of every day."

  
"Seriously? Are you sure you're Curly?" Varric stepped in to the office, cocking his head to get a better look at Cullen. "How many kids do you have?"

  
"Two with one on the way." Cullen was quickly losing patience.

  
"Given your over protective nature, I am stunned that you aren't pacing a hole in the floor." Varric looked decidedly uncertain.

  
"I happen to trust my wife to send someone or find me herself should she have need of me. Should I invite you to spar with me on the morrow to prove to you that I am who I say I am?" Cullen was now irritated.

  
Varric chuckled, "That'll do. The twins are…"

  
"With Athena's cousin and my sister. They should be at the bonfire," Cullen waited for the door to close behind Varric before breathing a sigh of relief. He usually wasn't one to lie, but he knew exactly where Athena was and he was now late in meeting her.

  
Cullen rushed to the rickety tower that Athena had frequented when she needed to escape during the war. He had upgraded the sturdiness of the thing to needing a sizable hammer to bring it down. But Cullen was starting to think that maybe it was a loose foundation stone.

  
As he opened the door, he smiled. Maker, she was beautiful. Athena's dark hair had been straightened, by what means Cullen wasn't sure nor was he certain he wanted to know. The tight, ankle length, black dress hugged her curves. A slight blush warmed his cheeks as his eyes caught and held at the v of her dress, slightly showing her breasts.

  
Athena chuckled softly, "Only you would blush staring at a pregnant woman."

  
"That pregnant woman is my wife and the mother of our children," Cullen smiled as he came into the tower. After he closed the door, Cullen took Athena in his arms and kissed her.

  
"I was beginning to worry," Athena said a bit breathlessly.

  
"Sorry, I was waylaid. Are you all right?" Cullen was concerned by her sounding like she couldn't catch her breath.

  
"There's a sizable bump between us that doesn't like to be squeezed tightly right now," Athena smiled up at him.

  
"Maker's breath!" Cullen immediately loosened his hold on her, "Better?"

  
"Much. Ready?" Athena turned in his embrace to grab the white candles.

  
"Yes," Cullen took the candles from her and lit them. Handing one back to her, he asked, "Are you sure you want them lit down here?"

  
"It's impossible to light them up there," Athena chuckled softly as they ascended the stairs.

  
"How often did you try?" Cullen kept a hand at his wife's back.

  
"More often than I should admit," Athena blushed becomingly.

  
"Will you please tell me the purpose of this get up?" The wig was really starting to itch and the pin stripe formal wear but not formal wear kept bunching in unpleasant places.

  
"We match," Athena grinned at him.

  
"Yes, we both have on clothes that are as dark as the night. Why must I wear this infernal thing on my head?" Cullen grumbled.

  
Athena laughed and then lightly gasped as the baby kicked her, "There was a cartoon strip that would come with the books the First Enchanter received and I've read it since I was child. We are the parents of that cartoon. Tell your child to stop kicking me."

  
"Do these cartoons have names? As with the twins, I doubt the little one will listen," Cullen stopped her half way up to kiss.

  
"I am Morticia and you are Gomez. They are deeply in love with each other. In fact, Gomez kisses Morticia's arm anytime she speaks Orlesian."

  
"I will not be doing that," Cullen groaned as they continued up the stairs.

  
Athena chuckled, "I don't know any Orlesian. But I wouldn't mind you kissing me."

  
Cullen grinned, "I think I can manage a kiss or two."

  
"Good," Athena briefly paused to look up the last flight of stairs, "I'm grateful for the stairs instead of the ladder, but did they have to make them so small?"

  
Cullen laughed, "You specifically said you wanted a spiral staircase."

  
"That was before I realized I would be coming up here at seven months pregnant." Athena complained.

  
"Love, if you're sore, we can do this from anywhere else." Cullen was concerned. Athena was taking it much easier this time around, but he didn't want her to push herself too hard for a single holiday.

  
"I'm fine. This dress is a bit hard to take stairs in and with the staircase being narrow, I’m feeling a little unsure of myself," Athena glanced back at him with a lopsided grin.

  
Cullen cocked an eyebrow at her, "Don't fall."

  
"I don't plan to," Athena's grin turned wicked, "But at least I'll have my strong, sweet, and handsome husband to catch me."

  
"Woman," Cullen growled, "When we get back to our chambers-"

  
"We have to put the twins to bed," Athena laughed at Cullen's shocked expression of her interrupting him.

  
"I'm sure their aunt would be happy to keep them for the night," Cullen already had a plan forming In his mind. Plus, the twins would be excited about their first sleepover.

  
"Poor Mia," Athena sighed happily as they reached the top of the tower.

  
"Poor Mia? She is the one that fills them with sweets and then sends them to my office to attack me!" Cullen sounded miffed, but the broad smile said he loved every minute of play fighting with his children.

  
"Is my Commander losing his touch at sparring?" Athena grinned. Mia wasn't the only one that would send the twins on a hunt for their father.

  
"Never," Cullen stuck his chin out a little. They heard shouts from own in the courtyard, "Speaking of the twins, the bonfire is about to start."

  
Athena smiled and facing her husband recited the Maker's prayer with him. At the end, they blew out their candles and kissed. They made their way down to the courtyard. The first to notice them was Dorian, "I understand that I am on a level that most men aspire to be, but to outright impersonate my looks with that frock called a suit?!"

  
Athena chuckled, "Cullen is doing me the honor of dressing as Gomez for my Morticia."

  
"Oh! The cartoon! Did you know, dear Cousin, that they are making a stage play out of it? I'm sure they'd love to perform for the Inquisitor and Commander." Dorian grinned at them.

  
"Mama! Papa!" Two little voices shouted and ran to Athena and Cullen. Cullen growled playfully and picked them both up before they could tackle their mother. He tickled them until they were laughing. As he set them on the ground he straightened their costumes, "Athena, it appears our children have turned into pets."

  
"'Tis the season for it," Athena's smile was bright.

  
The children ran off to see who they could get more candy from and Cullen wrapped his arms around his wife as they were teased about their costumes. Varric was the worst.

  
The fire was warm and bright. Everyone brought something to add to it. Cullen chuckled when Athena threw in a sprig of heather. He put in a piece of driftwood from their favorite lake. Athena smiled at him and murmured, "I love you."

  
"I love you, too," Cullen murmured back.

  
Varric approached them then, “A search party wasn’t needed, Curly?”

  
“Cullen?” Athena looked at him quizzically.

  
“Your best friend is the reason I was waylaid,” Cullen grumbled.

  
Varric’s eyes widened, “You knew where she was the entire time! You lied to me!”

  
Cullen glowered at the tawny haired dwarf. Did Varric really have to crow about it?

  
“Wait, what am I missing here? Varric, why were you looking for Cullen?” Athena was still confused.

  
“I wasn’t looking for him. I was looking for you, and as over protective as he is, I thought your husband would be the best place to start.” Varric laughed, enjoying that he caught Cullen in a lie.

  
Athena turned her attention to her husband, “And you lied to him because?”

  
“We had plans,” Cullen gently reminded her.

  
“Oh! Right, sorry Varric, there’s a candle lighting ceremony I do every year on Samhain in remembrance of those who passed. Usually we wait until after the bonfire, but I highly doubt I’ll be awake for the end of the bonfire this year.” Athena rubbed her belly and winked at the dwarf. “Why were you looking for me?”

  
Varric chuckled, “It can wait until tomorrow, Duchess. Your husband has been spending too much time with Tiny, I know he didn’t get lying from you.”

  
“Maker forbid I want to spend five minutes alone with my wife on Samhain.” Cullen grumbled.

  
Varric laughed as he went off to tell Iron Bull and Dorian about Cullen’s lie. Athena grinned but still chastised her husband, “Cullen, you could’ve just told him we had plans.”

  
“I remember well what happened when I would tell them that and I would’ve been even later.” Cullen gently kissed her, “We’ll never hear the end of my untruth.”

  
Athena chuckled, “They tease because they love us.”

  
“So you keep telling me,” Cullen murmured.

  
After a few hours of celebrating and trading stories, Athena let Cullen know that she wanted to rest and they went to find Rein and Liam, who were trying to convince Morrigan to give them sweets. They heard Morrigan ask imperiously, "Trick or treat, you must choose one."

  
Liam picked trick, where Morrigan captured him and tickled him. Rein picked treat and bounced back to her parents, "Mama, Papa, can we sleep with Aunt Mia tonight?"

  
"So long as Aunt Mia is agreeable to it," Cullen's smile was almost mischievous. He didn't have to think of a way to convince Mia to take them.

  
He heard Mia laughingly say yes and after admonishing the children to behave and to not fight, Cullen and Athena went to their chambers. After they made love, he asked, "Did you have fun tonight?"

  
"I did, you?" Athena yawned sleepily.

  
"Samhain is growing on me and this holiday has you to thank for that." Cullen kissed the top of her head. Athena's soft snores made him wonder if his wife had heard him. Cullen shrugged, oh well, may the year go as well as the night did.

  
Blessed be.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos (if you want) are appreciated!


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